Ramblings from travels to the interior and exterior

On the Obesity of Hearts

One of the things I love most about running a studio is being the recipient of a distinctive type of maternal kindness. Almost every week, one of the moms will come bearing food items of one kind or another: chocolates, fruits, jams, nuts, pastries, rice cakes. These spontaneous gestures of affection and generosity still take me and Abbey aback; the embarrassed moms, on the other hand, always downplay it as offloading excess larder.

But honestly, they have no idea how much nourishment we derive from their gifts—and I’m not even talking about physical consumption. A Filipino phrase comes to mind, nakakataba ng puso (literally meaning “fattens the heart”), which is hugely appropriate because, well, one’s heart does swell (as does one stomach too).

So to all our gift-toting moms: thank you. You really do make our day, again and again and again.